EP 231: FLORIDA - THE CONSPIRING COWORKER: The Killing of Joleen Cummings

Imagine setting your makeup, then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new groupie setting mist from Mavily New York. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours with flexible all-day comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue. Just plump, dewy, hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Try new groupie setting mist from Mavily New York. Maybe it's Maybelline. May 13, 2018 was supposed to be a day of celebration. Geline Cummings wasn't just excited to spend Mother's Day with her three beautiful children. She was also thrilled to be turning 34. It was going to be a day surrounded by all of her loved ones, playing with her kids, praising her own mom for raising her so well, and taking a look with pride at the life she had created for herself. It was a day she wouldn't mess for anything in the world. So where was she? As the day slogged on, each passing minute felt like a knife to the stomach for Geline's loved ones. She hadn't called, she hadn't texted, her car was nowhere to be found. It was as if overnight she had vanished. Her disappearance was disturbing enough, but the investigation that followed would prove to be one of the most convoluted and terrifying cases that Nassau County had ever seen. It was a case twisted by violence, aliases, jealousy, and hatred, all leading to a suspect who police never expected, and one who they quickly learned wasn't at all what they seen. This is the story of Joline Cummings, who was above all a loving mother taken far too soon. I'm Courtney Browin, and I'm Colin Browin, and you're listening to Murder in America. [Music] [Music] It was Mother's Day, May 13, 1984, and Ann Johnson was in a hospital in Nassau County, Florida, holding the greatest Mother's Day gift of all. Her daughter, Joline Rebecca Jensen, gazed up at her with big green eyes, full of wonder and determination. The hospital had been a heart-wrenching place for Ann. The last time she was in one, her son, Richard Jensen, was born sleeping. The day that she brought him into the world was the very same day she realized she was going to be burying him, which is the worst kind of pain that a mother can experience. Yet, around a year later, here was Joline, right-eyed, curious, beautiful, breathing peacefully and looking up at her. Now, Ann was experiencing the greatest joy a mom can ever have, holding her baby in her arms and knowing that she's going to be okay. From that moment, Joline, who came to be known as JoJo, was inseparable from her mother. The two were mirror images of one another, and their bond was something special. Joline became her mom's everything, and she was an easy kid to love. As soon as Joline learned to talk, she didn't stop. From the get-go, she didn't hesitate to show the world who she was and fill it with light everywhere she went. Everyone who knew her described her as social, energetic, and fun, always looking for a good time. When she was younger, the first thing she did when she woke up was rushed to the beach, down the street from her home. There, she spent long hours in the sun running around with her siblings. As the oldest child, Joline became the ringleader, always urging her younger brother and sister towards adventures with her and always promising to be there for them if times were tough. When she wasn't at the beach, going to cheerleading practice or spending time with her family, she was going to church. Joline's parents, Ann and her stepfather, Connie Johnson, were both strong in their faith and not just in the scripture, but in truly following the love and respect that's promoted in it. Ann taught Joline to love all people regardless of sexual identity, race, income, or struggles. Joline had her own Bible, where she drew hearts around verses that meant the most to her. One verse she circled, in particular, paints a picture of who she was and what she believed. It reads, "Love must be sincere, hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another and brotherly love, honor one another above yourselves. It's something that Joline seemed to carry all of her life, which is just one part of why she was surrounded by people who loved her. One of Joline's best friends, Alma Powers, told Snapped, "She had a large group of friends. Everybody loved Joline." "Always a smile. I've never seen her cry or anything, and that was an inspiration to me." And it wasn't just Alma that Joline was an inspiration too. It seemed that she became a beacon of light for many. She believed in loyalty, justice, and above all else, love. It was widely known that whenever someone around Joline was wronged, she was the first to stand up for them. "She'd always be like, 'Why are you letting him talk to you like that or do that to you? You can't do that, so I miss that about her." In high school, Joline worked as a waitress at a local spot called Country Cabin. She was hardworking and well-liked at her job. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy for newcomers. When teenager Lindsay O'quen started working the cash register there, the environment was far from welcoming. You know what it's like when you get your very first job. You don't know what you're doing or how to act, or how to ask for help. Dread followed Lindsay every time she walked into the building. And unfortunately, some of the waitresses sniffed out that anxiety. When Lindsay did something as simple as fumbling change, some of the daytime waitresses would scoff at her. Instantly, Lindsay would feel that shame crash over her. But then, a voice would pipe up from behind. Back off, Lindsay's doing just fine. She turned around to see Joline offering her a kind smile while she gave the other waitresses a sour look, one that dared them to try to be mean to the new girl again. Joline always stood up for the underdog, and for anyone who needed it. Lindsay, for example, was a teenage mother of three who never really had a life outside of motherhood. But according to her, Joline helped her break out of her shell. She made her feel like she was part of a friend group. She encouraged her to speak her mind, and she even took her out for new years since she had never been. They are the two laughed, danced all night, and made memories that still bring Lindsay a smile to this day. It was hard not to let your real self loose with Joline. She was not judgmental, and she carried a kind, calm, and confident energy with her, one that rubbed off on anyone around her. Which is part of the reason she decided to become a hairdresser. Joline was a people person. She loved encouraging those around her and making them feel beautiful. So in 2002, after graduating from high school, she enrolled in a cosmetology school in Jacksonville. Her dream was to open up her own salon one day, to create a safe space for anyone who entered, so she dug her heels into accomplish that as soon as possible. But as you know, despite our best efforts, sometimes life leads us down another path. And the path that life led Joline down as she entered her 20s? Well, it wasn't even better path than the one she had imagined. You see, in the tail end of high school, Joline began a relationship with a classmate named David. Like any first love, they had their ups and downs, but they were both resolute about one thing. They cared about one another. Even more so, they cared about their daughter, who was born when Joline was 24. The minute that Joline looked into her daughter's eyes, nothing else mattered. When her relationship with David crumbled soon after her daughter was born, she knew that she would do whatever it took to give her baby girl the best life possible, just like her mother had done for her. So, Joline hit the ground running and decided to make a name for herself as a cosmetologist. She picked up a job at Tingle's hair salon in Fernadena Beach, where she worked long, hard hours. Fortunately, it didn't take her long to develop a loyal client base there. In Joline's chair, people felt comfortable telling their secrets. They would complain to her about their life's problems, and she'd always give them a near-to-listen. Many of her clients referred to her as a "hair-apist," because she was so talented not just at doing people's hair. but giving them advice. According to her co-workers, you'd always hear belts of laughter echo throughout the salon from Jolene and her clients. It's just the kind of person she was. One of her clients, Donna, shared a memory of what it was like to have her, not just as a hairstylist, but a friend. Now Donna's mother had memory issues and she was her caretaker. And that week Donna was exhausted. As her mother's condition worsened, she found herself answering the same questions all day, time and time again. It was something she was used to, but not everyone is as patient with someone that has memory problems. When Donna was looking for a hair salon to bring her mother to, she was worried that the stylist might get annoyed at her mom's constant questions. But as soon as they sat down with Jolene, Donna's fears washed away. So how long have you been doing this? Her mom asked, "Jolene smiled at her," saying a few years. Less than a minute later, the same question came. Again, Jolene smiled and answered her question, time and time again. Donna felt her whole body relax. It's not often as a caretaker that you can trust someone with your loved one, but patience and kindness just seem to radiate off Jolene. She talked to her mother with grace and respect, and she even urged Donna to go take some time for herself. Why don't you go to the thrift store next door and do some shopping, she suggested? I've got things over here, don't worry. It was a blessing that Donna didn't even know she was missing. Not only did she get a few moments to herself, but she got to see her mom respected and cared for. Jolene had a long list of clients who grew to love her, and ones who also grew to love Jolene's daughter. Whenever Jolene couldn't find a babysitter, she would bring her daughter to the salon. Even as a toddler, she was well-behaved and respectful. While her mom was working on clients, she would practice braiding the hair on mannequins, claiming that she wanted to be just like her mama, and proudly showing off her work to her mom and her clients. For the clients, it was just another reason to trust and love Jolene. Looking at the way her daughter adored her, it was hard not to feel the same way, which is actually how Jolene stumbled upon the last thing she was looking for during this period of her life, a husband. Life as a single mom is challenging, and trying to save money, Jolene decided to get a roommate. In 2012, after posting on Facebook, she learned that her childhood friend, Jason Cummings, was also looking for a roommate. Now, Jason and Jolene grew up together in the same neighborhood. He had gone to school with her all the way up through graduation. So for her, he seemed like the perfect fit. She knew his family, knew he was trustworthy, and knew that they got along. When Jason moved in, Jolene wasn't looking for a relationship, but fate had other plans. For months, Jason and Jolene got to know each other on a more personal level. He also got to see what an incredible mother she was. He watched Jolene dance around in the kitchen, singing with her daughter and encouraging her, telling her that she could be anything she wanted to be. It struck Jason. Seeing what an amazing mother she was, made Jason fall head over heels with her. And soon, the feeling was mutual. He told news for Jack's quote, "I moved in with her, and we fell in love, the best time of my life," end quote. By late 2013, the two were married and had their first child together, a boy. Then in 2015, they completed their family with the birth of another son. For Jolene, motherhood was a blessing. She devoted all of her time to raising her three children. One of her good friends, Mariah Lorraine, told Snapd, quote, "She was so obsessed with those babies that nothing else mattered. Those kids came first," end quote. Now, unfortunately, in 2017, after four years of marriage, her relationship with Jason started to sour. Wanting the best for their kids, the two mutually agreed to separate. It was a heartbreaking situation. Jolene was now a single mother of three with court proceedings, bills, and a custody arrangement on the horizon. As the divorce proceedings moved through the court, she and Jason established a temporary custody order where Jolene would have the boys for a week, and then Jason would have them for a week. According to Jolene's friends, every time she had to leave her boys, it was heartbreaking. And in the times that she did have them, she devoted everything to them. Her close friend, Alma, said in an interview with 50 ways to catch a killer, quote, "Jolene loved her kids, like it was so hard to get her away from them," end quote. Jolene's entire life revolved around her children. They were her greatest joy and her constant motivation to be the best version of herself. So in spite of everything, she put a lot of her focus into her work, so she could provide for her kids and give them a good life. On the morning of May 12th, 2018, Jolene arrived at Tangles Brighton early to work a full shift. At work, all of her clients listened to Jolene excitedly tell them about her plans for the next day, which was Mother's Day. And not just that, it was Jolene's 34th birthday. The greatest gift she could ever imagine was spending the day with her kiddos. Though it was Jason's week with the boys, she was slated to pick them up the following morning so they could go to breakfast and enjoy a perfect day together. According to all of her clients, Jolene was in a cheery mood that day, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. But non-beknownst to everyone, including Jolene, once her last client walked out of the salon that day, she would never be seen again. The following morning, Jason Cummings paced in the parking lot of the Windixi and Hilliard, his heart thudded, and the annoyance that was boiling inside of him was becoming too much to bear, not just because he was frustrated, but because at the same time, he was scared. He glanced at his watch for the hundredth time. Jolene was 30 minutes late to pick up the boys, then 31 minutes, 32. She was never late to getting them, especially not on a day as special as today. So with fear rising, Jason called Jolene, but she didn't answer. He continued checking his watch, waiting on her to call him back, or to finally pull up in her car, but nothing. Again and again, he called Jolene, but the calls went straight to voicemail, hoping that maybe just maybe her phone was broken. He decided to call Jolene's mother Ann Johnson. And to his relief, she answered almost immediately, but the tone of her voice notched away any relief he was feeling in an instant. Jason, are you with Jolene? Jason's heart sank. Stunt, he told her, "No, I was calling to see if she was with you." The panic was palpable in both of their voices now. They wavered on the edge of hyperventilating as they discussed when they had last heard from Jolene. Ann hadn't heard from her since yesterday, despite having called and texted her. In fact, the previous night, she was so concerned by the fact that Jolene hadn't responded to her after work, that she had considered calling the police. Ann's husband, Jolene's stepfather, had calmed her down, reassuring her that Jolene was probably just busy getting ready for the joint birthday Mother's Day celebration. But now, that possibility seemed completely out of the question. Right then, as Ann and Jason talked on the phone, they both knew without a shadow of doubt that Jolene would never flake on picking up her children, especially on such a special day. They both agreed that it was time to take the next step. Ann tearfully called the police to report her daughter missing. And thankfully, they immediately took the report seriously. It helped that the office had a personal connection with Ann and her husband Connie. Both of them had worked at the Nasao County Sheriff's Office for years. The staff there were familiar with the family and their dynamics, and they knew the second that Ann called that something was a miss. So, as soon as they got their report, their feet hit the pavement. They drove by the salon where Jolene worked and discovered that her car wasn't there. So maybe she was at home. From there, they raced to Jolene's trailer that had previously been known by her uncle. As they pulled up, they saw that her car wasn't parked there either. But hopefully, evidence from inside the trailer would give them some answers. As the officers walked through the threshold of Jolene's home, the state of it took their breath away. The kitchen cabinet's hung at odd angles, dangling from a single hinge as if it had been ripped off. Holes marred the walls and doors at the home, each clearly from a punch. Immediately, a sobering feeling washed over the officers. It seemed very likely that they were standing in the scene of a violent altercation, one that may explain Jolene's sudden disappearance. So it's here. Where detectives began looking into the people who would have had a motive to hurt her. And given the fact that Jolene was in a custody battle for her kids, it didn't take them long to have their very first suspect, her estranged husband, Jason. Thankfully, Jason agreed to speak with them. Around 8.30 AM on May 15, Jason walked into the sheriff's office. and sat down in the interrogation room. In what began as a discussion, slowly turned into a tense argument. "Did you hurt her?" they asked. Jason was adamant that he had no involvement in Jolene's disappearance. He told them, "I wasn't threatening a woman. My dad would kick my ass all up and down this earth, and that's my kid's mom. What I do take seriously is my family." Jason went on to say that Jolene was a wonderful mother, and it was one of the many reasons he had fallen in love with her. But the police weren't so sure that he was telling the truth, especially after looking at he and Jolene's text messages. Here is one exchange they had shortly before her disappearance. "These kids have seen enough." "See you in court, Jolene." "With a kissy face emoji." In another exchange, Jason texted her this. "I fucking hate you, and tomorrow you will hate me. I promise you that." Two detectives, these harsh words were a blazing red flag. They showed tension, rage, and above all, a motive. The two were clearly arguing over the custody of their children, and they both had strong feelings about their arrangement, which begged the question, "How far would Jason go to get what he wanted?" But as suspicious as Jason's relationship with his estranged wife was, police eventually learned the truth. The harsh words they exchanged were just that, harsh words. The two were in pain. They loved their children, and at the time, Jason was wanting to move out of state. Something that only complicated the custody matters further. So sure, the two were arguing, and Jason said horrible things he shouldn't have said, but that didn't mean he killed her. And he could prove it. Jason actually had an alibi for the entire day prior and the morning of Jolene's disappearance. Detectives also noted that he truly seemed distressed by her vanishing. He offered police any information he could give them, hid nothing, and eventually revealed to them something that wasn't widely known. Jolene had recently started seeing a new man. His name was Jason Ashley G. And Jason Cummings was not a fan of him. He admitted to investigators. I got text messages from other people saying he is bad news. Police didn't need an estranged husband's word on that. They had police records backing it up. Jason G, Jolene's new boyfriend, had a rap sheet in Nassau County that included drug charges and probation violations. But the most interesting record of all included one from Thursday, May 9th. One that had been taken at Jolene's house. Five days before Cummings disappeared, her neighbor who wants to remain anonymous says she had to call 911 because she heard loud yelling between Cummings and her boyfriend. Something she's heard before, but she says this time the altercation was worse. The neighbor told action news Jack, quote, "I heard more stuff breaking than I heard him. Once I heard she was screaming at the kids to get into the room, that's when my alarm went off." End quote. And for good reason, because inside the trailer, absolute chaos was unfolding. That day, Jason had showed up unannounced, intending to stay the night. But Jolene had very different priorities. As soon as he walked in, she shook her head and firmly told him, you can't stay here. You have outstanding warrants for violating your parole. And I can't let you jeopardize my custody arrangement with my children. At the end of the day, her kids came first. And because of that, Jason had to go. But Jason didn't take kindly to that demand. Jolene watched in horror as Jason stomped towards her, thrashing and knocking things off the counters and a fury. Worried for her daughter's safety, Jolene yelled over her shoulder, "Stay in your room. Just stay in your room." But the terror was rising. Jason reached up, grabbing the cabinet door. And he slammed it as hard as he could. So hard that the room shook, and the door collapsed off its hinges. Jolene tried to calm him down. But at the same time, she wasn't the kind of girl to let a man talk poorly to her. She stood her ground, demanding that he go and leave her and her daughter alone. The tension was almost unbearable, until finally. As soon as the howl of police sirens pierced the air, Jason sprinted out the back door of the trailer, slamming it behind him. Jolene was scared to lose custody of her children. So when she approached the police, she told them that she didn't want to press charges. So she didn't. But now, five days later, Jolene is missing. When the police read the report on this incident, they couldn't help but wonder if Jason was responsible. He had proven that he was violent. He atrashed her home in front of her daughter. It was clear that he wasn't in the right mind. And that made him the department's number one new suspect in Jolene's disappearance. But that in itself came with a new set of problems. For starters, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office couldn't find Jason G. His last known address was a dead end. And when they tried to call the phone number, they had on file forum, Jason immediately hung up when he realized it was a detective speaking to him. Which is obviously not a great look when police are investigating you for the disappearance of your partner. This only heightened detectives fears about Jason G, and with that fear came the realization that he was bound to run. In the days immediately following Jolene's disappearance, they spoke with relatives, friends, enemies, quite literally anyone who would have had any contact with Jason whatsoever. Which brought them to a cozy home in Hillard, Florida on May 15th. When Jason's aunt opened the door, police were able to barge past her. They had a warrant out for Jason's arrest for his parole violation. And they had probable cause to believe that Jason was inside the home. Meaning, they didn't need a search warrant to enter. But as they raced through the home going room by room, parts thudding as they yelled at Jason to show himself, their concerns started to strengthen. Had they missed him? And if they hadn't, was he armed? Finally, police came to a backbed room overflowing with trash. There was a flash of movement. And then they spotted him. Jason G, cowering beneath the pile of cardboard boxes, police tackled him and cuffed him, bringing him into custody. Of course, to them, he looked as guilty as ever. To Jolene's family, his arrest was a relief. They hoped that Jason would be able to provide them answers as to what happened to Jolene, and they clung to the hope that she would somehow be found safe. But Jason's interrogation didn't go how anyone planned. During it, he insisted that he didn't even know Jolene was missing. He said he hadn't contacted her since the night he fled her house five days before her disappearance. So next, the police asked him, why did you hang up on us when we called you the other day? Jason said he had a parole violation. When detectives called him, he was positive that they were tracking his phone, so they could try and hunt him down. Immediately after, he said he ripped the battery out of his phone so he could avoid detection, all because he didn't want to go back to jail. Now, as you can imagine, the police aren't buying a word of this. And they brought up how Jason's last interaction with Jolene had been violent. And surprisingly, Jason didn't deny that. He admitted to trashing Jolene's apartment, telling police this. I'd slam the cabinet up when we was arguing, and the one screw come out on that. Yeah, I know something about that. As for the multiple holes in the walls and doors, Jason argued that those had been from prior arguments, quote, "a long time ago," end quote. But again, detectives had an inkling that he was their guy. They kept bringing up how suspicious it was that he removed the battery from his phone. But Jason was adamant that they had it all wrong. He told them. I told you the reason I was fucking hiding. I got a warrant for violation of probation. I didn't want to go to jail. I didn't have nothing to do with Jolene. I know you ain't believe in nothing I say, but I'm telling you the truth, man. I had nothing to do with Jolene being missing. I love her. Now Jason did seem to be distressed when he learned that Jolene was missing. But even so, when the detectives walked away from this conversation, they were confident that they had their suspect. However, once again, they would sue and learn that Jason had an alibi. He had been at his father's house the entire weekend, including the night that Jolene went missing. And luckily for him, his alibi checked out. After speaking with several people who were with Jason that weekend, they all provided the same consistent story, even when separated from one another. So as it turns out, as messed up and toxic as he and Jolene's relationship was, Jason was telling the truth. Just like that, police went from two seemingly great suspects to no suspects at all. But soon enough, they would get a huge break in the case. As soon as Jolene's family found out she was missing, they had started tirelessly passing out flyers and spreading the word. On each flyer, a clear description and photo of Jolene and her vehicle were front and center. And thankfully, on May 15, around 3.30 pm, they paid off. That afternoon, police got a tip that Jolene's vehicle had been spotted in the Home Depot parking lot in U.L. Immediately, police responded to the scene and there, abandoned in the back lot, they discovered Jolene's beige 2006 Ford Explorer. License plate number 035 KBQ. When they approached the vehicle, they weren't sure what they were going to find. Carefully, they pulled at the door handle and it opened. Her car was unlocked. From there. In there, they went to open the trunk. Anytime you have a missing person and in a band in vehicle, there's always a chance that investigators find a body back there. They all stood around as the trunk popped open, but luckily, there was no body. In fact, there wasn't much of anything inside her car, not even the keys. During their search, they found a few empty water bottles, random pieces of paper, and an old to-go coffee cup. But considering the keys weren't inside, they theorized that whoever had driven it to the Home Depot parking lot had simply stepped out and walked away. Fortunately, where the car had been abandoned, it wasn't exactly in the middle of nowhere. There were several businesses surrounding the Home Depot, so please got to work scouring the area for surveillance cameras. Right across the entrance to the Home Depot was at a credit union, and knowing how well maintained and updated bank security systems usually are, they made that their first stop. The detectives held their breath as they looked through the hours and hours of footage, eyes locked on the screen for Jolene's car. And then finally, at 117 AM, on May 13th, Mother's Day in Jolene's birthday, they spotted it. The driver who wasn't visible parked the car and then stepped out moments later. And although the footage was blurry, there were several things that they knew immediately. The figure that it got out of Jolene's car was a woman, and it wasn't Jolene. Clad in all black, the mysterious figure walked off into the night, heading towards the only business open at that hour, a gate gas station. Following the figure, police raced to the gas station to check their cameras. Unfortunately, they had several. As they watched this footage, they saw that same woman. This time, she was approaching the store and speaking with a worker who was outside on their lunch break. She talked with him at length, bought a bottle of water with her credit card, and then got into a cab where she disappeared into the night. Now, thankfully, as the investigators are looking through this gas station footage, the very same worker that had spoken to the suspect was there that day, and he had quite the story to tell. Hey, Casey, I'm Detective Rose with the Sheriff's Office. Hello. I'm going to speak to you about someone that you had contact with the other night, not in trouble for nothing. Oh, okay. I don't even know. Can we sit down for a second? Okay. So, you came in contact with, say, there was a female that came into the store the other night right here. Yes. And y'all sat there and talked for a little bit. Can you tell me what your conversation was with her? She said something about how she was out with a couple of friends, drinking, and one of the friends, ex-boyfriends came around. There had been some kind of promise she didn't go into detail for much after that. And to be honest, I don't even know how she got to the store because she had me call her taxi. And then, what, 10, 15 minutes later, she was gone. The taxi came and picked her up and took her, said, "She said somewhere to like a plant business." Okay. That was around us. All right. What else did she say about them being out earlier? Nothing. She went into this really weird conversation about what meth does to your body. Literally, this is what most of our conversation was about. But meth does too. Yeah. Okay. It was really weird. What she said about what happened earlier that night was that they were out drinking. One of the girls, like one of her friends, ex, came around and then, you know, it just went bad from there. But she didn't give any details to me, though. Where were they drinking at? She didn't tell me. I figured if she would walk to a store, they were probably over at the goat most likely. And from the way I saw her come in from the store, she came from that way. I would hope she didn't walk all the way from the island. They're right. What happened when the ex came in? Like I said, she didn't talk about any of it to me. Nothing about what happened with her, her friends and the ex, just that something had happened and that she got it, didn't know, but it wasn't good. She said that what? She just said something had happened and they had it wasn't good for what happened between the friends and the ex. She gave you any names? Is there an argument or was.? I figured there wasn't argument. It's how she made it sound like, but she didn't give me any details on it. Did you say how many people were out together? All she said was just wearing a couple of friends. How was she acting when he spoke to her? We had called the taxi company from my phone and she was very irritable with the people on the phone. Not that the lady on the phone was being courteous either, but she was easy-to-earth, and she just felt like the need to keep talking, she couldn't not talk either. Did she, was she acting different or.? I've never seen her before other than this, so, I mean, did she, how was, how was her demeanor? Tired, I mean, it wasn't really anything out there that would, I would say it was all. Did she, um, did you notice any marks on her? She looked like she had a red mark on her face. Okay. So it wasn't like much, but I didn't look like someone that hit her, maybe it like, you know, grabbed her by the face or pushed her or something like that, but it didn't look like someone that hit her unless, you know, she doesn't bruise easily, but most people do bruise easily in the face, so. Did it look older fresh? It looked fresh. It looked like it could have happened from that night or recently. You said the red mark looked like someone had done what? Like someone had, like, pushed her, almost looked like, you know, like a finger, like, mark, like, someone had, like, almost grabbed her face and pushed her out of the way or something, or like, someone that, like, gripped her face, is right right there, like, on our cheekbone. Okay. Okay. What does she say about the details with the, with the incident and not having a ride back? The other thing she, she wouldn't give any details about what happened during the night, not that I went looking for the information about it, tried to stay out of the people's business, working at a gas station. Again, most of our conversation ended just went around. She, apparently, has spent all this time looking at the effects of what meth does to your body. That's what she was looking at. Oh, yeah. I mean, that's what she said. She had spent a lot of time recently looking up. I'm like, why would she look up what meth does to your body? Well, I know, but still, it's just a little weird to me. Was there anything else that stood out to you about her? She looked anxious, like, she kind of thought something was going on. She didn't want me to leave her alone either, though, so she didn't, yeah, like, when I tried to go back inside to go back to working, she got real kind of defensive and like wanted me to stay around, so figuring a way ever happened, it scared her. She didn't want to be by herself. Now everything he said matched the footage, so it seemed like they were finally making some leeway. But there were several parts of this story that concerned detectives, like the fact that the woman was talking at length about meth. The drug aspect added a whole nother layer to this story, but from here, detectives decided to find the cab that the woman got into that night. Hopefully, if they tracked it down, they could see where the woman was dropped off and then maybe they could find her identity. Luckily, finding the cab was pretty easy. And after speaking with the driver, they learned that in the early morning hours of May 13th, the woman was dropped off at the place where it all began. Tangle's hair salon, where Jolene worked. Now as we mentioned, there were no cameras at the salon or in the parking lot directly outside of it. But eventually, police got access to the cameras that were nearby. And that's when they saw that after the cab dropped off the woman at the salon, she got into a black Kia soul, one that was owned by Jolene's coworker, a mysterious woman named Jennifer Cybert. Now up until this point, police had spoken to everyone who was at this salon that day. Everyone except Jennifer, who they hadn't been able to get in contact with. And it just so happens that Jennifer and Jolene were the only people in this salon when it closed that night. So what happened? Well, according to fellow coworkers and clients of the Tangle salon, 50-year-old Jennifer Cybert had only been working there for a couple of months. during that. short time, she was already having problems with everyone. Apparently, she would text the owner of the salon, total telling on the other hairdressers. And for some reason, she seemed to be really focused on Jolene. If Jolene was running even a second late, Jennifer would text the owner to let her know. Other hairdressers said that Jolene would walk over to the thermostat to turn it down a few degrees. But as soon as she left, Jennifer would walk right over and turn it back. It was little things like this that were adding up, causing tension between Jennifer and Jolene. On another occasion, Jennifer even texted the owner, saying, "I saw Jolene taking money out of the cash register." The owner would later say that they brushed it off. Jolene was the most trustworthy employee she could possibly ask for. And sure enough, when she checked the register, it was completely balanced down to the penny. To everyone, it seemed like Jennifer had developed a strange vendetta against Jolene. And that was only intensified when weeks before her disappearance, a baggy with a white substance in it was discovered at the salon. - Everyone who worked there quickly brushed it off, assuming it was something left behind by a customer. Jennifer, however, couldn't bring herself to stop talking about the baggy. In fact, she even suggested that the baggy, supposedly full of drugs, belonged to Jolene. It was a pretty serious accusation, one that had no evidence to support it. And from there, Jolene began to do all she could to distance herself from Jennifer. She felt uneasy and targeted by her. And it only got worse. Just a few days before Jolene's disappearance, Jolene was having a private conversation with her coworker Anne about her custody battle. As she poured her heart and soul out to Anne in the back of the shop, she felt like someone was watching her. And she was right. Because when Jolene turned around, she caught Jennifer staring at her, very deliberately eavesdropping on the conversation. Even worse was that Jennifer didn't even flinch when Jolene looked in her direction. Annoyed, she turned back around and continued her story in a lowered voice, only to hear Jennifer's footsteps moving closer. - Feeling uncomfortable, Jolene asked Anne if they could finish their conversation outside. But as soon as the door closed behind them, it opened again. Jennifer had followed them outside. And there, the tension between the two erupted into a verbal altercation. It ended with Jolene exploding, telling Jennifer, "Go away. Don't talk to me. You're crazy." But Jennifer still didn't leave. She stared at Jolene and demanded, "What do you mean? What do you mean by that? It's here where Ann stepped between the two, telling Jennifer to just go inside." Finally, Jennifer complied and went back into the salon. But Jolene seemed really shaken by the experience. This woman had only been working here for a few months and she was already telling on her anytime she walked in late. She was accusing her of stealing money from the register and then she accused her of bringing drugs into their place of work. Jolene had worked here for years with no problems. But now she felt unsafe in this lawn where she had built her career. At that moment, while standing outside, Jolene told Ann, "What's her last name? I'm going to look her up." There's something off about her. That woman is not who she says she is. Now later on, when Jolene's loved ones heard this, they weren't surprised. According to them, one of Jolene's defining qualities was her intuition. She always knew when someone wasn't genuine, when someone had bad intentions. And this Jennifer lady gave her the sick feeling inside. She knew something wasn't right with her and she was determined to figure out who she was. Now another thing Jolene's friend said about her was that when she wanted to find something out about someone, she was going to figure it out. She was known for her skill in scouring the internet for information on people. And according to the employees at Tangle Salon, that was Jolene's intention when it came to her new work feud with Jennifer Cybert. As detectives are hearing this, they can't help but wonder if this tension between two co-workers was the reason Jolene went missing. Maybe there was an argument that led to something violent. So they started asking around about what was going on on the day Jolene disappeared. What was the energy like between Jolene and Jennifer? They ended up speaking with Jolene's last clients that day. According to them, Jolene was very busy that evening. She was running around juggling multiple clients at once while Jennifer was just kind of milling about. They said she was looking out the windows and seemingly eavesdropping on their conversations. At one point, a customer came in looking for a gift card. And since Jolene had her hands full, she asked Jennifer who wasn't doing anything. Hey, would you mind grabbing one for me? They're in the drawer in the front desk. From there, Jennifer went to the front desk, rummaged around for a few seconds, and eventually snapped at Jolene saying, "You can deal with it, I can't fucking find it." All the customers seemed shocked by this. One of them recalled being startled because it seemed like Jennifer blew up out of nowhere. So there was clear tension between the two, tension that everyone picked up on. Are you ready to have your mind blown? - I want you now to imagine that in front of you was a locked door, symbolizing all that you know. Everything you've been taught in your time on earth delives your government has fed you. With my podcast, The Conspiracy Files, I now give you the door's key. And once you've listened to the show, you finally unlock this door and step inside. Beyond the door is another dimension, a dimension of false narratives, a dimension of hidden evidence, a dimension of truth lies and murders. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance of deadly secrets and explosive ideas. You've just crossed over into the conspiracy zone. - I'm your host, Colin Brown. Join me now on this journey into the world of secret pedophile rings, government cover-ups, and suspicious suicides. On my new show, The Conspiracy Files, available now on all streaming platforms. - Another concerning thing was that Jennifer and Jolene were the two employees to close the salon that day. So from what they could tell, Jennifer was the last person who saw Jolene alive, but after Jolene's disappearance, it was hard to get in touch with Jennifer. And when they did, her messages were strange. The owner of the salon whose name is Vicki texted her, saying, quote, "Jolene, I hate to bother you again." Jolene's mom is taken out a missing person. Do you remember what she was wearing Saturday? Jolene has been having trouble with the crazy ex. Took out an order on him Friday, end quote. Moments later, Jennifer replied, quote, "Hold on, driving." Several more minutes passed, until finally she responded, quote, "Oh, my lord, I'm so sorry to hear this. For what she was wearing, I'm not sure if I remember. Um, I think dark colored pants, not remember the top. I don't pay attention. I'm not fashioned forward like the other gals," end quote. Now, Vicki would later say that the interaction rubbed her the wrong way. Obviously, investigators felt the same. And they wanted to speak with Jennifer Cybert themselves. Luckily for them, as they were at the salon, speaking with the owner, Vicki, she heard her phone ring. It was Jennifer who said she was on the way to the salon. Vicki responded, saying, quote, "Detective Kelly is actually here. He has a few questions he's hoping you can answer," end quote. But with that, Jennifer quickly hung up the phone. Soon after, detective Kelly and Vicki watched as Jennifer's car took off down the road. It was clear that Jennifer was running because she had something to hide. And sadly, after she took off, they lost her. Now, later that day, Jennifer texted Vicki again, stating that she was quitting her job, and that she could mail her her last check, which only made them more suspicious. Hoping to track her down, detective Kelly tried calling Jennifer's cell phone, but she wouldn't answer. Until finally, they received a call back. Hi, this is Jennifer Cybert. Your detectives have been contacting me. As much as I'd like to help find Jolene Cummings, I can't. Look, I'm on the run. My ex has been tracking me for years. If he finds me, he'll kill me. I can't have my name in any reports. I can't have my name anywhere. So I'm sorry, but you'll have to talk to someone else. Now, this phone call only raised more questions, and they didn't believe her claim for a second. It was clear that Jennifer Cybert wasn't running from an ex. She was running from them. Deep down, they knew that she was responsible for Jolene Cummings' disappearance. Both no evidence to prove it. They were worried that she might flee. So they decided to write up an arrest warrant for Grand Theft Auto since she was seen driving Jolene's car. As the authorities worked on getting their arrest warrant, they knew that they needed to find Jennifer before she skipped town. They used her employment paperwork to find her home address, which was listed as 9/15 citrona drive. Along the way there, they saw that citrona drive was a peaceful street close to the beach. It was lined with ranch homes and white picket fences. but as they looked around for the house at 915 citrona drain, drive, they were confused. As it turns out, there were no homes on the 900 block of citrona. Detective Douglas doubled back, scanning the street to see if he had somehow made a mistake. But he hadn't. The closest address to 915's citrona drive at the time was 435's citrona drive. In other words, the address she listed didn't exist. It was a completely fake one that, on paper, even for locals, could very easily have been mistaken for a real one. But the one thing they knew for sure was that Jennifer was fleeing, and they had to find her fast before they lost her completely. Luckily, they were able to track Jennifer's cell phone through nearby towers. They knew Jennifer would likely be sleeping in her car, somewhere she felt safe, somewhere where a transient person wouldn't ring any alarm bells. So when her phone pinged off I-95 in St. John's County, they scoured nearby truck stops, and there, late into the night of Thursday, May 16th, a detective found exactly what they were looking for, a black-key assault that seemed to be trying to hide. The car was wedged between two parked semi-trucks, obstructing it from view unless he were specifically looking for it, and thankfully, detectives were. Detective Harrington approached Jennifer's vehicle with caution on how she would react to being cornered. And as he drew closer, he realized that the front of the vehicle was empty. He swept his flashlight around to the back of the car, and there, in the shadows of the back seat, he saw a flicker of movement. In his own words, Jennifer slithered from the back of the car through the center console, slipping into the front seat. Detective Harrington then ordered her out of the car with her hands up. Slowly, Jennifer emerged from the car. There was an eerie calm about her as she stared blankly at the detectives as if she didn't care or couldn't bother to learn why he was there. But something they immediately noticed was that her face was covered in bruises and band-aids. Peeking out from behind one of the band-aids was what appeared to be a long, deep scratch. The kind you'd get from a human fingernail. When detectives asked where Jennifer got the scratches on her face, she scoffed, saying, "I was riding my bike and got hit by a branch." What's going on? Detective Harrington promptly cut her off, telling her that she was under arrest for Grand Theft Auto. Jennifer claimed over and over that she had never even been in Jolene's car, that she had no idea what the detectives were talking about. But of course, the proof was in the surveillance footage. It was also written all over Jennifer's face. In there, Jennifer was booked into St. John's County jail for the night where detectives got a first look at the attitude that they were in for for months to come. Now what's interesting is that Jennifer was initially interviewed by two female detectives, and as you'll see, her behavior with them is completely different from her behavior with Detective Steve Harrington the following day. At St. John's County, the detectives' main concern was maintaining any DNA evidence they could related to the case, something that Jennifer complied with, but rolled her eyes about the entire time, especially when detectives had to take fingernail clippings. Now these officers didn't ask Jennifer any questions regarding the crime she committed. They were primarily focused on making small talk and collecting the samples needed before Jennifer had a chance to wash her hands or rid herself of any evidence. However, when she was transferred to Nasao County the next morning, the focus was entirely different. You know why, why you're here? Yes, I'm being accused. You accuse me the other night of, you know, like, where is Joel Lee that? Where is she? You know, she had been reported to Miss him. They said, you know, there's no way that she's not going to be with her kids. And so I probably come across her, so I thought you had a big, and for that, you know, I didn't have anything to add, but like I said, I want to know, I want to be able to find her and I want to be able to get her back with her little boy. It's just like you need to go and be with that and she needs to be with her kids, okay? So again, if I come across, you know, I'm not. It is my job, but at the same time, I try not to let you, you know, in my job, you try not let your emotions get involved. But sometimes even I've been doing it for 21 years, sometimes I let things get to me that I shouldn't let, you know, let get to me, and at least until later on when I'm not trying to have a conversation with somebody. You kind of put those things to the side and you worry about them later, and maybe I didn't do a good job of that when I started talking to you about that. You're fine. A feeling star is just kind of a funny thing. If I was raised by kind of stop German people, they're like, suck it up, you know, shift feelings, I'll beat you until you stop crying. So we're like, we're finally learning. I only took a couple of beats where I'm like, okay, we got this under control. The feelings are like a funny thing because you got to somehow deal with them, and I've never really put my fingers out on that. Like, where do you stuff them? Well, I stuff them in different places, then I end up stuffing my face, because I'm going to do something wrong to like try to quelch that, because we all have, you know, feelings that are positive. Not everyone is happy. I mean, we all have things that are alive, you know? So I stuff it with food, which is not good. Not what people do with drugs now, or whatever. The right way to do it is like going to the gym. I like to go camp or hike, and it's like, if I can, I say you know, like, I like to be alone for short years. I couldn't do it for 25 years, but to me, nothing's better than a three day in the woods right by myself, me and nothing, but a camp fire and a community or something like that. Well, it's a good reason. Yeah, it's good. You know, and again, you know, can we, I don't think we talked much about it the other night, because like I said, I probably don't handle this profession as I should have, but can we just go through, when you work with her on that Saturday, so I can, is there anything you can tell me that, does she ever talk to you about a boyfriend, I know she's had a husband, I know she had a boyfriend, does she ever talk about anybody she was scared of, does she ever say the thing that would, that she wanted to run away and get away from something, you know, I don't remember hearing anything, she would have different conversations sometimes with different clients, because different clients you don't tell every client, you know what I mean, like, but the one client that was the one, I went, the one I told you, no, listen, she, she was saying CPS came to her house, she was saying one client that I caught a little blip of it in between listened YouTube and the phone ringing and she, I remember her, say she thought her ex-husband or her husband was doing to get out of paying child support, that's all I heard, and I don't remember ever hearing about a boyfriend ever, but then again, I don't always really pay attention, and as I told you before, Miss Anne, she really, like, talks to Miss Anne, like, her and Miss Anne, go out back and they spoke to her, I said, I said, I'll back sometimes for a while, and they would even forget that their clients were and I'd have to go to the back and be like, hey, your clients are here, because they would get so involved and talk, so I don't know as much as, you know, maybe Miss Anne, and honestly, whenever I first started, she would tell me, you know, I don't remember why, she'd start to tell me some things, and I would be like, I don't have to person that, that's kind of can't give you any good care. How much she could, if she was hanging around with, or was she like, any time that maybe she shouldn't have been there. She would just say to me, like, you know, the time or two, she'd say, I'm just going home, now, quiet night at home, or like, I don't have the kids tonight, or, you know, whatever I'm just going to enjoy this. I'd be like, you're young, won't you go out? She's like, no, I don't need a man in my life, but here she had a boyfriend, I don't even know that. But she involved in any bad habits or anything that could get her in trouble? I can't say that she did, but I did find a bag that I believe had crystal meth, and then just a little bit in the bottom, a tiny baggy baggy back by the back door, at first I thought well, maybe it's Val, Vicky's daughter, whatever her name is Whitney, you know, because I heard she had a drug habit, her is opiate, and that's not crystal meth. So, if I didn't even know what it was at first, then it was actually Jolene who said, that's a drug baggy. And I'm like, really? She said, yeah, that's drugs. She goes, do you know what kind of drugs it was? I don't know. I don't know. It could be bath salts. It looked kind of like crystals. And she, I ended up looking up on the internet, and I believe it was crystal meth. How much was it? How much was it? Just a little bit in the bottom. Obviously she was trying to deflect suspicion from herself, even attempting to create the impression that Jolene was a drug addict. But the detectives were determined to get to the bottom of two questions. First, obviously, what happened to Jolene Cummings. And second, who the hell was Jennifer, really? Because the more they looked into her past, the less clear answers they received. And as soon as Jennifer sat down with them, it became clear why. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours, with flexible all-day comfy grip. Just plump, dewy, hydrated skin. That still feels like your skin. talk to the detective to dribble you up and you said, I might have been calling me by the wrong name. - That's for me, the St. John's, and tell you. When you run my fingerprints through, they come up as Kimberly Lee Kessler. I was born in May of 1968, May 9th. I am 50 years old. I've been running from the FBI for over 25 years. I've been living under this particular alias since 1999. So not quite 1999. This is 18th at about 19 years, and that's about it. So I would prefer to be called Kim. - Okay, okay. - Okay, I just want to make sure I call you by your right hand. - But it's run them through. I mean, the last time I got picked up was back in 1999 and I bonded out. And it took them, I don't remember. It was a couple of weeks, all of them. It was two and a half weeks or three and a half weeks before they actually, you know, matched them up. - Yeah, it didn't like, but that was 1999. So maybe it was a little bit slower then. Put it on there. There's like lots of people on the face of the planet. So maybe it still takes time. I'm not sure. - And then it made me, too, that you, since you've had this egg list for so long, you know, it probably, you've probably done a lot of stuff since that time. And so you've actually kind of got a, you know, you've got a history of that name. So it probably shows up in different databases and stuff like that. And that's just a guess. And maybe that's why it's happening all around. I don't know, fingerprints or fingerprints. - Fingerprints or fingerprints? And I agree with you. - But I haven't. - I didn't erase them with acid. So they are the same. - They are the same. - And I agree with you. But I have a, I have a run of fingerprints. And if St. John's did, they, they felt to, to notify us that, you know, the, of the different names. So I apologize for that. - Perhaps they just thought I was a, you know, I'm not a child. So it is more unique. But if it will eventually come up soon. - As it turns out, Jennifer Cybert wasn't Jennifer Cybert at all. She was actually Kimberly Kessler. For the first part of her interrogation, she brags repeatedly about how she's been able to successfully hide from the FBI for over 25 years. Over and over again, she encourages detectives to look her up. And when they finally do, they don't exactly find what she's been claiming. - Wow, can I have that day? - I didn't lie. - Well, she's still working on stuff but she found this right away. Is that you? - Yeah, that's me. I was lying here about it. Is that taken back in? I squit in my eyes. You know what? She want to meet up in my eyes there. I tend to see because they want to scan them. I wouldn't know them. See how spiny my eyes are? The one you can't see it. - Open your eyes. - Open your eyes. No, this one. Open your eyes. - I'll just show you your eyes. - Open your eyes. - Is that a job? - Is that a job? - Yeah, open your eyes. I wouldn't do it. I was like, I've been split until she finally gave in and took the picture. 'Cause I didn't want my eyes scanned. - It's not, um. - That's me with short hair. - It's not short hair. - It's your woman, though. This was saying that you're a missing person. Why would you be woman? - No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I have aliases. I have IDs. I was Christina Brooke. Whenever I had my son Evan Brooke. - Well, I was listening to Marlon. - Kimberly Kessler did indeed have several aliases, including Jennifer Cybert. But to find out how she arrived at that name and all of the names in between, we have to look at who she really is. The person that she never wanted anyone to see. So let's go back and look at Kimberly's life and everything that led up to Mother's Day of 2018. - Kim was born Kimberly Lee Kessler on May 9, 1968. The parents Constance Connie Kessler and Robert C Kessler in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania. Growing up, Kim, along with her siblings, Robert Jr. and Sarah, never really wanted for anything. Their family came from a long line of successful businessmen with her father's parents owning Kessler Auction Barn, a large event space where weekly auctions and estate sales were held. In addition, the family was involved in horse racing, which was and still is wildly popular in the area. Throughout her childhood in teens, Kim was what you would call one of the popular girls. Her freshman in sophomore year, she was a cheerleader who dated one of the most popular boys in school. From the outside, she really seemed to be the all-American beauty queen. With those who knew her closely, even from a young age, knew that something wasn't right. According to several childhood friends and high school boyfriends, Kim had an undercurrent of anger, instability, and hatred about her. She often spoke at length about how much she hated her brother, Bob, and her mother, telling people that she constantly fought with them. The summer heading into her senior year, 1985, it seems that something happened to Kimberly. There was a drastic shift in her personality, almost as if all the hidden parts of herself came to the surface. One high school friend told Detectives, "Everybody was afraid of her. I tried to stay off Kim's radar because, quite honestly, she was a scary individual once she did this major change in personality." Another mirrored these sentiments, saying, "It was just like one day something snapped. It seemed to be maybe over a summer break, if I remember correctly, because it was like one school year was great, and then the next one she was just this different person." Now, what happened to cause this change we may never know? We searched arrest records and local newspapers to see if there were any arrests or disturbances related to her home life, and the first sign of turmoil was an accident in 1987. Her older brother, Bob, was in a horrific motorcycle accident where he ran off the road crashing into a tree. Tragically, the friend who was riding with him died of his injuries. For unknown reasons following the accident, rumors began to swirl that Kimberly head, allegedly, run her own brother off the road. Of course, these are just small town rumors, but the fact that this was a rumor in the first place is enough to raise an eyebrow. And what happens soon after that accident does the same. At one point, after graduating high school, her brother, Bob, was fast asleep in his childhood bedroom. And there was a creek of a door. Bob didn't stir. He was at home, safe, or so he thought. As he hovered between dreams and reality, a blinding pain shot through his face. He awakened to the throb of agony radiating through his jaw and head. And with it, a gush of warm blood filled his mouth. He bolted up right, bracing his mouth with his hand, and he watched in horror as his front teeth tumbled out into his palm with a torrent of blood. His teeth had been smashed out of his gums at the root. And his sister, Kimberly, stood beside his bed with a baseball bat, smiling at him. The two had gotten into an argument earlier that day. And evidently, this was her choice of her revenge. Now, the two stopped speaking shortly after this, but Kimberly told anyone who would listen about what she had done to her brother. She seemed sickly proud of the pain she had caused him, even laughing about it at times. And unfortunately, that tendency towards violence didn't stop with her brother. In the early 90s, when Kim was entering her 20s, she dated a man named Tim. Initially, Tim was head over heels for Kim, but soon enough, her instability drove him away. In one incident, the two got into an argument while at a cookout. In a rage, Kim ran at him and plunged a butter knife into his chest, leaving him with a scar that he still has to this day. And another instance, when Kim came at Tim, his father stepped in between them, restraining Kim and trying to calm her down. But in response, Kim latched her teeth into her boyfriend's father's calf, biting his leg as hard as she could. Now, after this altercation, Kim essentially disappeared from Tim's life. He came home one day to see that all of her belongings were gone. And sadly, his cat Malcolm was also missing. Tim was especially devastated about the cat. He loved him, but he hoped that Kim was giving him a good life. For about a year, Tim didn't hear from Kim. But then one day, he saw her at a bar. By then, the pain of their breakup had subsided, and they struck up a conversation. During it, he asked her about his cat. But in response, Kim shrugged while smiling and told him, no, I had to get rid of him. My new apartment didn't allow cats. Tim was heartbroken. If Kim had to give his cat away, the least she could have done was give it back to him, the rightful owner. So he asked her who she gave him to. Again, Kim looked into his eyes. With a sick look, he knew all too well. She then said, oh, I didn't give him to anyone. I killed him out back with a shotgun. Now it's around this time, in the early 1990s, when Kimberly decided that she didn't want to live as Kimberly Kessler anymore. She wanted a new identity. On one occasion, she begged her boyfriend to go to the cemetery to visit her dad's grave, who died when she was just 21 years old. At first, the boyfriend was flattered, thinking that Kim wanted to share a special piece of her life with him. Instead, as the two entered the cemetery, Kim began to walk headstone by headstone, staring at the names and birth dates intently. Despite claiming she wanted to show him her dad's headstone, she had no flowers, and didn't seem to be in a rush to see her dad's grave. Instead, she seemed much more focused on finding tombstones of girls who would have been around the same age as her where they still alive. At the time, the boyfriend never imagined that this was for a nefarious purpose, but as you'll see later. Kimberly used names of young girls from this very cemetery throughout her life. Now, anytime you're creating different identities for yourself, there is clearly something going on there. And her family noticed this change in her. At some point in 1998, Kim gave birth to a son named Evan. Now Evan's father was named Tim, but I'm not sure if it's the same Tim we mentioned earlier. Regardless, by the time Kimberly gave birth to her son, she was using the name Christina Brooke. And I think using as an even the right word. Kimberly had essentially become Christina Brooke. She somehow got a license and passport under this name as well. Her son's birth certificate listed her as Christina Brooke. And for the next 14 months, Kimberly created a whole new life for herself using this identity. But in August of 1999, her new life began to crumble. It was August 3rd, 1999, a blazing summer day in Virginia Beach, Virginia, when a woman heard an odd sound just outside her bedroom window. It was the tiny, earthy sound of someone shoveling just beyond her yard. She assumed that maybe her neighbor was planting trees or doing some yard work, but when she looked outside, her heart stopped. There, just a few feet from her house, stood her neighbor, who she knew as Christina Brooke. Christina's real name, of course, was Kimberly Kessler. But she had a license, passport, and had even signed her son's name as Christina Brooke. To everyone around her, that's who she was. And in the past few weeks, following her separation from the baby's father, Tim Edwards, her behavior had become increasingly erratic. There, standing in the yard, Kimberly dug a hole with her 14-month-old son, Evan, peering out one end of it. Tears welled in his big eyes. He wasn't playing a game or goofing around. He was clearly in distress. The neighbor raced out to ask Kimberly what she was doing, and Kim rambled nonsensically before telling the neighbor something that chilled her to the bone. "I'm digging a grave." Terrified for Evan's safety, the woman called CPS, who immediately took Evan out of Kim's custody. From this point on, Kimberly was enraged. A few days following her son being taken from her, she stormed into the CPS headquarters, demanding to see her son. Security called police, who swiftly arrived to escort Kimberly out of the building. As they did, however, Kimberly fought back, flashing the contents of her purse. And inside, clear as day, they saw Smith and Wesson 357 Magnum, a taser, and a brand new role of duct tape. In the aftermath, the officers believed that she was going to kidnap her son that day. They referred to the items in her purse as a kidnapping kid. But from there, she was taken into custody for carrying a concealed weapon. Kim, or rather Christina, as she was known then, immediately posted bond and swiftly disappeared, leaving all of her earthly belongings behind. After Kim disappeared, the courts terminated her parental rights. And Tim, Evan's father, was awarded sole custody. And from that day on, they never heard from her again. Tim would later say that Kimberly was a very violent person. And he's thankful that his son, Evan, never got to see that firsthand. But after this whole ordeal, Kimberly moved to Arizona, beginning a new life under the alias, Melissa McCurnen. And for the next decade or so, Kimberly continued to wreak havoc all over the United States. Here is what she told detectives about this period of her life. Which I did in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Um, did I mention I'm one in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Arizona. I also have a real estate life since the Arizona, and I think I was on the line. I didn't know there's so many things, though. Here's the thing. It's just, I guess it requires like, I just thought that, okay, so my grandparents, on my father's side, the family made a lot of money. Is it real estate or? No. Um, actually estate sales. Lots and lots and lots of money. Like, I believe a little now. So I just thought to myself, I'm going to make money. Well, no, it requires like a special blessing from God. It also requires help. But I noticed in the last 25 years of being on my own, I especially after my son was taken, I didn't let anybody get really too close to me. I did get into abusive relationships. That was foolish. And then I really kept everybody on the slings. But never really led to me, people get close to me. It is virtually impossible to take care of oneself by yourself. You can't do it. It's fine because you've got to have somebody, you've got to have a wife, or you've got to have people, and you can't do it by yourself. So. It's amazing, though, to shoot, you know, for $20. I mean, it's amazing to me, because you always hear about people going, oh my gosh, you know, I just want to start wherever I just want to, you know, I just want to be somebody else. I just want to hold on to your identity. No, but then if you're really looking to it, I mean, this is complicated. It's complicated. It's very complicated. Complicated doesn't even begin to explain Kimberly's life for timeline of events. Throughout her life, she went by 18 different names. Kimberly Kessler, Christina Melissa Brooke, Christina Young, Pamela Cleber, Melissa McCurnen, Melissa Losey, Mia Stone, Jennifer Marie Cybert, Jen Lee Cybert Allen, Jennifer Sebring, Jennifer Marie Allen, Marie Cybert Stone, Krista Brooks, Pamela Cleaver, Pam Cleaver, Pamela Jean Cleaver, and Jen Seaver Allen. And with those identities, she lived in over 33 cities and in 15 states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Vermont, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado, and Alaska. Of all her aliases, she had passports for at least two of the names and licenses for five. And what she was doing during that time, we may never know. Now something important to note is that after 2004, Kimberly cut off all contact with her family. But by 2012, after eight years of not hearing from her, her mother decided to report Kimberly missing. However, she never got answers as to what happened. And that's because by then, Kimberly Kessler sees to exist. She hadn't used her real name in 14 years, so her family moved on. The next thing we know about Kimberly's life is that around 2013, she decided to become a hairdresser. She began training at the Jacksonville Hair Academy. And during that time, her fellow trainees described her behavior as strange. She was reserved, quiet, and she didn't associate with anyone. She often carried around a notebook and scribbled down everything that was said during lectures. One of the instructors who wanted to remain anonymous told the first coast news, quote, "She wouldn't let anyone touch her hair." When I told her that she needed to learn certain things, she told me she was only there. Even though it was a cosmetology school, she told me she was only there to barber, end quote. But it was after this when her truly odd behavior began. At one point, Kimberly crawled inside a cabinet, and when asked what she was doing, she casually replied that she, quote, "wanted to see if she could fit," end quote. Another time a student had a bad sunburn where her skin was peeling off, and Kimberly asked if she could keep her peeled off skin. Her behavior was so alarming that many of the students wanted to figure out who she was, and they even began researching her background. But unfortunately, due to her many aliases, they weren't able to find much. In 2014, Kimberly officially graduated from the hair academy and started looking for work at different salons. For years, she bounced around to different salons, not able to stay at one location for very long. At some point, she worked at great clips and used the alias Mia Seiber. Co-workers described her as being paranoid and said that she often more wigs to work, claiming that she was running from an abusive ex-boyfriend. "I was very surprised to hear it, but only in the sense that wow, you know, I mean, that's a horrible thing to hear, but I knew something was odd with her anyway because she always seemed to be hiding from something when she was here. A little bit of an odd feeling when I would get off at night, and she would still be sitting in her car out in the parking lot and kind of watch you go to your car, and that kind of always gave me an uneasy feeling." In fact, everyone at the salon had that same feeling. Co-workers stated that sometimes, Kimberly would be a ball of energy who was fun, kind, and funny, but at the flip of the switch, she would go into fits of rage. At one point, when a customer wasn't pleased with her haircut, one of the co-workers glanced over to see Kimberly white-nuckling the back of the chair, as if it was the only thing keeping her from attacking the woman. As her fits of rage and odd behavior increased, her manager looked for excuses to fire her, because it reached a point where everyone was begging not to work the same hours as her. When they did finally fire Kimberly, she allegedly threw her keys at the owner before she stormed out. This was just one of many jobs Kimberly switched between until finally, in early 2018, she answered a Craigslist ad, leading her right to Tangles Salon. The women at Tangles' hair salon knew Kimberly as Jennifer Cybert. Interestingly, Jennifer Cybert was a young girl who died in Kimberly's hometown in 1987. Somehow she had even been able to get her social security number and everything. But as soon as Jennifer started working at the Tangle salon, everyone did their best to welcome her. However, it wouldn't take long for her to start causing problems. 34-year-old Jolene Cummings could sense that something was wrong with this woman. Her feelings about Jennifer were so strong that in one of her last texts to the Tangle's owner, Vicki Simmons, Jolene said, "There is something a little off about her. I can't put my finger on it," end quote. Another message to Vicki read, quote, "She's been real negative, trying to avoid her," end quote. And now here we are. In May of 2018, Jolene Cummings wound up missing after working a shift with Jennifer Cybert. Or, as we now know her, Kimberly Kessler. And thankfully, it didn't take them long to place her under arrest. Now, while Kimberly was in custody, she decided to reconnect with her mother. As we mentioned earlier, Kimberly had completely cut off contact with her family in 2004. And now, 14 years later, she wanted her mother to bail her out. She also asked her mom to remove her stuff from her storage unit before the police went through it. Now, we'll go over what was found in her storage unit here in a minute, but throughout Kimberly's interrogations with the police, it became clear that she was not going to come clean about what happened. And she said, "We're going to find out what happened." I don't mean that, I mean that in a bad way. I've been here for four days on this 16, 18 hours day because I'm going to find out where those little boys are going to do that. You can help me do that. And you're the one that can make it happen right now. No, I can not. And I'm not again, whatever fury may come. I'm here. So, let me reply this way. And you may not like the answer. I would like legal counsel. I haven't able to call anybody. I haven't been able to call my mom. And I see how that works. And that may still continue to go on. I mean, I'll be able to call anybody. You know, stick me in jail. I'll sit there. I can't call anybody in. I'm not allowed to go. That's fine. I can't speak for when you help. I can call my mom. I can't call anybody. I can assure you when you get to our facility, we will call the letter law, as far as whatever policy is and whatever legal and what rights you have, you're going to be able to go. Well, they weren't so far. So, I don't really even expect them to be. That's what I saw down there. They didn't pay attention to me. That's fine. I'm expecting that that's what I heard that Southern jails, that's what happens. So, I'm like, I'm perfectly expecting it to be really bad. That's not going to happen here. I promise you that. With Kimberly now asking for an attorney, the interrogation was stopped. But by this point, investigators had already uncovered some pretty damning evidence against Kimberly Kessler. Now, as we mentioned, the Tango salon didn't have surveillance footage, but the businesses around them did. And one bit of footage confirmed their worst fears. The clock in the corner of the surveillance screen ticked 8.09 p.m. on May 12. It was three hours and nine minutes after closing time at tangles. Three hours and nine minutes since the door had been locked and no one saw Jolina live again. There, well after she should have gone home, Kimberly stumbled onto the screen, weighed down by a massive garbage bag in her arms. She heaved the bag into the dumpster. Then breathless went off screen. Only to return seconds later, throwing yet another bag into the dumpster. This horrible dance continued on for several minutes until Kimberly had disposed of multiple large trash bags into the dumpster. So, what was she throwing away? What was she doing inside the salon during those three hours? So it's here where the detectives knew that they needed to take a closer look at the Tango salon. After Kimberly's arrest, crime scene investigators descended upon the salon. And almost immediately, they found exactly what they were looking for. On the bottom of the reception desk, there were tiny specks of blood spatter. There were also tiny spots of blood on the mat by the front desk on one of the drawers. And on the desktop calendar, the more they looked, the worse it got. As it turns out, there wasn't just blood around the reception desk. There was evidence of blood on the complete other end of the salon, on a set of cabinets, and in the center of the floor several feet away. They quickly learned that this wasn't just a small isolated incident. This painted a picture of a room that had been drenched in blood. Detectives painstakingly covered the room with lumenol, a special chemical that reveals traces of blood not visible to the naked eye. And when they did, they were left with a disturbing discovery. One of the detectives told 50 ways to catch a killer that after lumenol was sprayed, the entire salon "lit up like a Christmas tree." There were large amounts of blood on the floor, spattered across the walls, on the chairs, and the sink, on the cabinets, and even traces the blood on the salon's mop. Based on the amount of blood found, investigators knew that Jolene Cummings was dead. The surveillance footage from outside also showed that Kimberly was likely throwing away key evidence, and possibly even parts of Jolene. But sadly, when investigators searched the dumpster, they discovered that it had already been emptied. The next course of action was to track down where the trash had been taken. But first, it was time to alert Jolene's family, and the public that this was likely no longer a missing person's case. It was now a homicide investigation. There are investigations. We have attained evidence, which we are not releasing at this time, which leads us to believe Jolene is not alive. We have subsequently found out that Cybert's real name is Kimberly Kessler, K-E-S-S-L-E-R, date of birth May 9, 1968, and she is from Butler, Pennsylvania. She had also been using a fake social security number. She has since been charged by the FBI with a federal offense, a possession of a counterfeit passport. Kessler is a suspect in the disappearance of Jolene Cummings. We are working to obtain all and gather all evidence we possibly can related to this incident, and additional charges are forthcoming. We continue to follow up on all leads and gather additional information and evidence as to Kessler's location, and dealings before and after May 12, until the time of her arrest. We know she frequented in Fernandina Beach, Yulee, the Barton Park area of Jacksonville, as well as St. John's County. We are working closely with our State Attorney's Office, the St. John's County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the FBI. We will continue to search for Jolene, but she could be anywhere. We have searched for her utilizing all of our resources, including canines, horses, and boats. We are asking if anyone has seen or had any contact with Kessler, who is also known as Jennifer Cybert, or her vehicle, or has any information that would help us in our investigation. Please contact the NCSO at 904-548-4005, or contact First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or 847-7. Jolene Cummings, who had been in the prime of her life, had been taken from everyone who loved her. Following Sheriff Bill Leeper's statement, Jolene's mother and Johnson said a few words, pleading for help finding her daughter. Thank you, Sheriff Leeper. Thank you to the press. Thank you for keeping her name out there, but I also ask that you give us some privacy. It's been a very typical time. The majority of you have been very cordial and very helpful. Thank you. As we grow, it's a draw close to day nine that I reported my daughter missing. Sunday was a special day, not only from Mother's Day, but it was her birthday. She was born on Mother's Day. God gave me this special blessing after my first born infant son, Richard, was buried. We are all heartbroken. Jolene's three children, her stepdad, her sisters, her brother, several aunts, uncles, cousins, myself, and all the extended family and friends. I want to sincerely thank Sheriff Bill Leber and Director Henderson and the rest of the staff at the CID Unit in Dona Thurston and members of NCSO, who have been working night and day to bring my daughter home, who unfortunately still has not been located. My daughter was a loving mother to her children, her children, her life. I need you, the news, the public to help assist the law enforcement agencies to be their ears to be their eyes, someone out there, someone out there, no something. I thank you, I thank you as a mother to please keep coming forward with any information that you have, no matter how small, help with any possible leads, they can help blockate my daughter, for her my three grandchildren who miss her so much, we want closure. Thank you. Later that same day, a vigil for Jolene was held at the Journey Church in Fernandina Beach, thousands of friends and family members gathered to pray for and remember her. After Sheriff Leber's public statement, everyone was reeling with the shocking news that investigators did not believe Jolene was still alive. Maria Lorraine told Action News Jax, the news today from Sheriff Leber was a little devastating but we can't say we didn't see it coming after 10 days of her being missing. But everyone, including Jolene's mother Anne and stepfather Connie, clung to the hope that Jolene would be found and returned home for a proper burial. However, finding Jolene's body would prove to be an impossible task. The dumpster that police believed her body had been thrown into was taken to a massive landfill in South Georgia. That summer, in an effort to find Jolene, investigators geared up in body suits, masks, safety goggles and steel-toed boots to begin sifting through the 6.6 million pounds of trash. The search went on for days, in temperatures that reached up to 116 degrees. Medical personnel even had to treat some searchers for heat exhaustion. But day after day, there was no sign of Jolene Cummings. Now to the search for missing Nassau County mom Jolene Cummings. In one hour from now, the almost week-long hunt for clues that a South Georgia landfill will end today, investigators announced that they found what they described only as items of interest related to coming disappearance and nearly more than 60 days ago. News for Jacks reporter Elizabeth Campbell shows us what this week has been like for members of law enforcement in that landfill and what's next. Brutal. That is the way Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leaper described the conditions. More than 200 investigators have been working in this week here in Charlton County at the Chester Island Landfill, both he and the FBI say they are very proud of these men and women. The photos we received today from the FBI have investigators sifting through trash on the seventh and final day of the Chester Island landfill search. The FBI originally said they would go through 2700 tons of trash, but they went through 3300, which is more than 6.6 million pounds. Sheriff Bill Leaper says Kimberly Kessler is the only person who knows where her coworker Jolene is and that she's not talking. Whether the items of interest turn out to be relevant or not, he says the investigation will continue. We'll continue to follow any leads, credible leads that we receive. We have not received any credible in a while. So we'll continue with our criminal case, criminal or investigation there to put a rock solid case together to make sure that this will never happen again. And Johnson, Jolene's mom, hugs law enforcement after the update today and thanks them and the community. She is asking for a favor from everyone tonight at seven o'clock tonight. I ask that everyone, everyone join us in prayer prayer from my daughter to be found for more evidence and most of all for justice to be served. Thank you. God bless. She says she's confident this case will not grow old and she'll get the answer she's looking for. Sheriff Leaper says those items will be sent to a lab with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It could be several weeks before they get those results back reporting from Charlton County, Georgia, Elizabeth Campbell, Channel 4, D, local station, sadly, the items of interest that the police discovered were not definitively linked to Jolene. But luckily, even though they had no murder weapon and nobody, the DA still believed that they had enough evidence to charge Kimberly Kessler with first degree murder. And on September 7, 2018, those charges were finally handed down. That's when the media coverage of this case really took off. The world was shocked that this woman was able to drift through the country using all of these different names and living all of these different lives. And soon enough, people started coming forward with stories about Kimberly Kessler or whatever name they knew her as. Surprisingly, a childhood friend of hers, whose name was also Kimberly, said quote, "we wrote horses all over the countryside together, and we would do things like go skating. There was nothing that I could think of that was off or strange about her." But other people painted a very different picture. Kim's ex-husband, the father of her child, said that Kimberly was a very violent person. He said at one point she had even stabbed him with a pair of scissors. But the most recent bizarre story came from a man in Texas. According to this guy, in March of 2018, just months before Jolene's disappearance, Kimberly sent him a friend request on Facebook, except her name wasn't Kimberly Kessler. It was Mia Stone. After he accepted her request, the two started chatting back and forth. And eventually, Kimberly decided that she was going to go meet this guy. Not even telling him, she drove all the way from Florida to Texas. Once she arrived, she messaged him and asked if he wanted to meet her at a local water burger. The guy agreed not thinking much of it. But as soon as he sat down with her, he realized he made a big mistake. You see, apparently he was going through some custody issues, and Kimberly had a solution to his problem. "Let's get married," she told him. "If the court see that you have a wife, that'll help your custody case." The man said that he was completely thrown off. He barely even knew this woman, and she was asking him to marry her. He was so taken aback by her intensity, he actually cut the date short and left. But afterwards, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere. She looked really familiar. And that's because he did know her. In fact, he had grown up with her in Butler, Pennsylvania. When he was a teenager, Kimberly was friends with his younger sister. He said she had developed an obsessive childhood crush on him, one that evidently followed her until she was 50. All those years later, Kimberly tried to start up a relationship with him under a different name. As all the stories started coming out, Kimberly told her mother in a jailhouse phone call that the reason she was getting this harsh media coverage was because Jolene Cummings' family was in the Illuminati. "I say it's because it's the Illuminati, I think that her people definitely are seriously involved in it, so that's just what is happening." In other phone calls that Kimberly made to her mother, she talked about how much she enjoyed being in jail. Here's a part of that call. For Jolene's family, this time of their life was incredibly difficult. They were in the thick of their grief after losing her. Her three children had to go on without their mother, and her loved ones had to come to terms with the fact that Jolene's body was likely buried under tons of trash in a landfill. Then, to add insult to injury, the woman responsible was just about the worst human on earth, and her behavior while she awaited trial was truly unbelievable. As we mentioned earlier, Jolene's family had closed ties to the Nassau County Sheriff's Department. In fact, her stepfather had previously been the director of the Nassau County jail. And when Kimberly learned of this, she was angry. She demanded to be transferred to a different county, but they refused. Also in response, she went on a hunger strike. She claimed that the jail was poisoning her food. She also bizarrely stated that Hitler himself was involved in her poisoning. During her several hunger strikes, she dropped from 196 pounds, down to just 74 pounds. Kimberly also went on violent tirades, yelling, screaming, and cussing uncontrollably. You would make obscene gestures and comments. comments to the jail staff. As a result, there were multiple competency hearings to determine whether Kimberly was mentally fit to stand trial. Of course, these hearings continued to delay her trial. And ultimately, on July 3, 2019, Judge James Daniel declared her mentally incompetent. From there, she was sent to a Florida State hospital in Chattahoochi for mental health treatment. For Jolyne's family, every trial delay only intensified the pain they were feeling. Here is Jolyne's mother. "Was she ever tell us the answers? I don't know. I pray for that. But we're not giving a gun. We are in a storm. This storm isn't over with. We don't want this to go 25 years or never being able to find her. She will be found confident. I arrest you. You've got to believe in the judicial system. You know, she may be intelligent. You've got to hire power. We got people that are fighting, fighting to and working very diligently for this case." Jolyne's mother, Anne Johnson, was right. After eight months in the Florida State Hospital, Kimberly was re-evaluated. And in March 2020, Judge James Daniel reversed his finding and declared her competent to stand trial. He determined that Kimberly was not delusional, but rather manipulative than psychopathic. And as if to prove his point, Kimberly responded by going on yet another hunger strike in an attempt to get out of serving her punishment. Meanwhile, women who interacted with Kimberly at the Nassau County Jail admitted that she always walked around with a Bible and enjoyed eavesdropping on other inmates' conversations. Her roommate stated that Kimberly often talked about her mother, whom she referred to as "Mommy Dearest," stating that when she was a little girl, her mother sold her to men. Kimberly also repeatedly claimed that she believed her mother kept a voodoo doll of her, which was made out of her own hair that she used to punish her. This, of course, isn't true and has been disputed by all of Kimberly's siblings, aunts, and cousins, who, for the most part, have refused to communicate with Kimberly whatsoever. But Kimberly's erratic behavior didn't stop there. Seven months after Judge James Daniel found Kimberly mentally competent to stand trial, she went on yet another bizarre tirade in the courtroom and in her jail cell. This time, she claimed that her public defender, Jordan Beard, was a cousin of Jolyne Cummings. Once again, this wasn't true whatsoever. Yet, for most of Kimberly's hearings, she interrupted proceedings with these claims. Here are all the different instances when she screamed out in court. Well, we may want to put her on mute while we finish this good. Uh, it's fine. Oh, she's put me back on my cell. I don't come back. I want to get rid of the public defender's office. Yeah, exactly. Jordan Beard is Johnson's nephew. Jordan Beard is Jolyne's cousin. Jordan Beard is Jolyne Cummings' cousin. And I refuse this assigned counsel. I refuse public defender's office. I refuse the public defender's I can't even. They appointed Jordan Beard, Jolly Plenty's president as my public defender. You ready to begin today? No. Okay, it was just for today's kind of periods that today will be the last day that the state will be presenting evidence and the defense will be afforded the opportunity to present evidence today. So I want to make sure you can wear that. We want to stay here and work some year right and we should be able to do that. Sure. I can stand up here and I'm going to say what I want, when I want how I want, which you silence me for years, you silence me for years. So let everyone know, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Jordan Beard, public defender, is Jolly Plenty's president. You want his brother, Josh? Yeah. We just went to that for the run for three and a half years, one with her father, her stepdad, who runs the jail, who recently retired. He still comes in. Back in the county jail, Kimberly's behavior didn't improve. She destroyed a fire extinguisher, smeared feces all over her cell, and even threw feces at two police officers. According to first coast news in April 2021, Kimberly apparently stripped off her jail clothing and told the officers, "Okay, we can do this today." Then she grabbed several styrofoam cups filled with feces and started spreading it all over her body, on the walls and throwing it at the officers. Even after being sprayed with mace, she continued to throw feces at them. Ultimately, officers were forced to use their taser to subdue her and remove her from the cell. For this, Kimberly was charged with two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. After this incident, she refused to leave herself for court appearances and stopped checking in with her doctor regarding her mental health. For Jolene's family and friends, Kimberly's behavior only made their never-ending nightmare worse. On the three-year anniversary of her death, Jolene's mother and Johnson issued a statement to first coast news that read, "What has happened in the past three years? Delays over competency. Here we go again, enough is enough. The judicial process is confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming. It's now been three years since Jolene was murdered and her remains have not been found. The month of May is a very difficult time for our family. We have no closure. Jolene's children are without a mother and their world has been turned upside down. Nothing in life prepares survivors for the reality that someone you love has died of violent death. As survivors, we are grieving not only the death, but how Jolene died. A life has been cut short through an act of cruelty. The disregard for human life adds overwhelming feelings of turmoil, distrust, injustice, and helplessness to the normal sense of loss and sorrow. The world no longer feels as safe as it once did. When your child is murdered, grief is only the beginning, what a true statement. Not only for my family, but especially for Jolene's three children. The hardest part of grieving is waiting for justice. Waiting for Jolene's remains to be found. The children are surrounded by Jolene's pictures. While I know Jolene's soul is in heaven, I feel her spirit is here watching over her children. Sometimes I hear her say, "Mom, do this or do that. Kiss and hug the kids for me." It brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. I want to leave you with one last note. When we face times of delay, we can become frustrated, discouraged, and even angry. All of this combined together can become a breeding ground for the enemy to tempt you to quit and give up. Jesus said in Luke 181, "That men ought to always pray and not faint. We will not give up. Pray without seizing for Jolene's remains to be found. Pray without seizing for justice to be served for Jolene's children." Finally, in December of 2021, three and a half years after Jolene's murder, it was time for Kimberly Kessler's trial. As Jolene's family members entered the courtroom, it marked a long, awaited step towards justice. But everyone knew there was a lot at stake here. Without a body and without a murder weapon, the prosecution would be forced to convince a jury of eight women and four men using mostly circumstantial evidence. Around 8.30 a.m., Kimberly Kessler was wheeled into the courtroom where she went on another tirade about her attorney, Jordan Beard. Ultimately, she was removed and from there, opening statements began. And based on the prosecution's findings, we are going to walk you through what happened on that fateful day in May of 2018. But before we do that, we have to talk about what happened in the weeks before. As we mentioned, Jolene had been having some problems with Kimberly, whoever one knew as Jennifer Cybert. After weeks of tension, Jolene started telling her co-workers that something was off with this woman. Jolene even voiced that she planned on looking into this woman's past. But during this time, it seems that Kimberly Kessler started making plans of her own. Twelve days before Jolene disappeared, Kimberly went to Google, co-worker guilty of murder, missing person's body not found. She also Googled, "Man with Hunting Humans" DVD, "Charge with Murder," after co-workers were mains found in Yard. So, Kimberly was looking up cases where people had murdered their co-workers. In the days before Jolene's disappearance, she also Googled "female murderers" in the state of Florida, and the phrase "no body, no crime." To the prosecution, this showed that Kimberly was hatching a plan to kill Jolene. Then, on May 5, Kimberly went to a store called West Marine, located right next to the salon. And while there, she bought a set of heavy-duty zip ties. Then disturbingly, she walked over to the salon's appointment book, and she took a picture of Jolene's appointments, which showed exactly when Jolene would be at the salon. Meanwhile, Jolene Cummings continued on with her life. Despite the growing tension she experienced with her new co-worker, her focus was on her work and her children. In the days before May 12, 2018, Then, Jolene's two sons had spent the week with their father, per their custody agreement. It was hard for her to be apart from her children, and she was counting down the days until they would be reunited, which was Sunday, May 13, 2018. It was supposed to be a special day for many reasons. Not only would she be with her kids, but it was also Mother's Day and Jolene's 34th birthday. She was so excited about it. All she had to do was get through the weekend, which included a shift at the salon on Saturday, May 12. That morning, I'm sure Jolene was annoyed to see that Jennifer was also on the schedule. Even worse was the fact that they were working the closing shift together, and the tension between the two women was palpable. Clients that were at the salon that day said that Kimberly was snapping at Jolene over small things like salon gift cards. As the clock ticked by, Jolene was looking forward to going home. Around 5pm, her final client walked out of the front doors, meaning all she had to do was clean up and then she could go. However, she would never get the chance. Now, what exactly happened next? We will never know. Perhaps the two got into an argument. Or maybe there was no argument at all. It's believed that Kimberly had been planning to murder her. And Jolene was actively trying to discover who Kimberly was. Kimberly wasn't going to let that happen. So once that client walked out of the door, Kimberly began her demanded plan. The prosecution believes that she started by grabbing a pair of scissors, used to cut client's hair. Then she approached Jolene and launched at her. When Jolene realized that Kimberly had stabbed her, she was flooded with terror. She tried to get away to run to the front door, but before she could make it outside, Kimberly followed behind, stabbing her again, and spattering blood across the room. I'm sure at that moment, Jolene's thoughts were with her children. She knew that she needed to fight back if she wanted to see them again. But she didn't have a weapon. She could only fight back with every bit of strength she could muster. So within that salon, as Kimberly chased her around the room stabbing her. Jolene thrashed, kicked, and pulled, yanking out a chunk of Kimberly's hair. But Kimberly would not let up. They continued to struggle around the salon, breaking pieces of furniture, knocking over plants, and leaving trails of blood all over. At some point, Jolene sunk her teeth into Kimberly's thumb, slicing it open and crushing the bone. But Kimberly continued stabbing. Throughout the entire ordeal, Jolene screamed out for help, but sadly, no one could hear her. I'm sure she even tried to reason with Kimberly, begging her to stop. She Kimberly had already made up her mind, weak and bleeding out from her wounds. Jolene watched as Kimberly towered over her. As she continued delivering more stabs, Jolene reached up and raked her fingernails over Kimberly's face, catching her left eye and leaving a trail of blood down her cheek. But sadly, she was overpowered. Kimberly was much bigger than her, and she had cowardly prepared for this moment. And it was here, on the floor of the salon, where she had spent her entire life making people's days so much better, Jolene Cummings took her final breath. The struggle likely lasted only a few minutes, but what came next took hours. Kimberly quickly cleaned herself off in one of the shampoo bowls. Watching as her and Jolene's blood spiraled down the drain. As she looked around the room, it was a complete blood bath. She knew that before the salon opened the following morning, she not only had to clean everything up, but she also had to get rid of Jolene's body. So it's here, where she decided to make a trip to Walmart. Surveillance footage shows Kimberly wearing all black, walking through the aisles, and grabbing a number of items, including gloves, trash bags, ammonia, and most concerning of all, an electrical carving knife. After purchasing her items, she made her way back to Tangle Salon. By now, it was dark. All of the businesses in the shopping center where the salon was located had closed. And as Kimberly Kessler stepped back inside, she immediately got to work. The prosecution believes that she used the electrical carving knife to dismember Jolene on the floor of the salon. As she put her body into trash bags, the clock ticked into the early morning hours of May 13, Jolene's 34th birthday. Just hours earlier, Jolene was planning out how she was going to spend the day with her children. And now, she was in pieces at her place of work. Once the dismemberment was over, Kimberly went to work cleaning up the salon. After everything, it was completely covered in blood. And she cleaned up most of it. And at least, what she could see, unbeknownst to her, there were still small amounts of blood spatter all around the room. There were still remnants of blood in the places she did clean, that would later be revealed with lumenol. But for now, as Kimberly threw everything into trash bags, she was pleased with her cleanup. The blood was gone, the body was dismembered. All of the chairs that had been knocked over in the struggle were in their original positions. The cleaning products were all put away. All she had left to do was get rid of the trash bags. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed Kimberly walking back and forth, throwing a number of heavy trash bags into the dumpster behind the store. It was risky throwing a body in the trash like that, but Kimberly was willing to take that risk. When she walked back to the salon, she had one more thing to complete before she was finished. Jolene Cummings' car was still parked out front. If she left it there, her family and the police would realize that Jolene never left work the previous day. From there, they would want to talk to all the people she was working with. Or worse, they might check the dumpsters out back. So from there, Kimberly got into Jolene's car and drove it to a home depot. Surveillance footage captured her abandoning the vehicle and walking to that nearby gas station. While there, she chatted with the employee and used their phone to call herself a cab. That cab then brought her back to her own vehicle that was still in the Tangle salon parking lot. It's believed that during Kimberly's planning to murder Jolene, she truly thought she would get away with it. The Tangle salon didn't have cameras. The parking lot directly outside didn't have them either. And in a stroke of luck for her, the dumpster where she dumped all the evidence was emptied and taken to a landfill without anyone noticing what was inside. As of now, it seemed like Kimberly was in the clear. But in the days after Jolene's disappearance, as police were looking into other suspects like Jolene's ex-husband and boyfriend, Kimberly Kessler's Google search has proved she was spiraling. Shockingly, she searched Jolene Cummings' name 457 times. She looked for information regarding autopsies, cadavers, meth addiction, dismembering a body in plastination, which is a way to preserve a body. Just by looking at Kimberly's Google searches, you can tell she was nervous, and she had every right to be. Because soon enough, police learned from several people at Tangle salon that Jolene and Jennifer had been having problems. Obviously, they wanted to speak with her. But as soon as they tried, Kimberly tried to flee. When investigators eventually tracked her down and arrested her for Grand Theft Auto, they found a pair of Kimberly socks and boots that had Jolene's blood on them. They also found a pair of scissors with her blood on them as well, but I guess they were never able to prove that it was the murder weapon. Now at some point, they also came across some footage of Kimberly dumping a blue tote bag into the woods behind a restaurant in town. And inside the bag, they found Jolene's fingernail. So even though they never found Jolene's body, they had plenty of evidence to prove that Kimberly Kessler was responsible for her murder. But of course, at trial, Kimberly's defense disagreed. They argued that due to Jolene's body never being found, there was absolutely no proof that Kimberly murdered her. They told the jury, "No body, no murder weapon, no crime." Now as for the injuries that Kimberly had on her face, directly after Jolene's disappearance, they argued that it's possible Jolene and Kimberly got into a fight that day, but that still didn't mean she killed her. As for the bizarre internet searches found on Kimberly's phone, they stated that there was no way to know for sure who conducted the searches or why. Clearly, their defense was pretty weak. But finally, after an agonizing trial, on December 9, 2021, after only one hour of deliberation, the jury found Kimberly Kessler guilty of first-degree murder and grand theft auto. After the verdict was read, Jolene's family members and friends hugged each other in the courtroom. After three and a half long, painful years, justice had finally been served. Kimberly Kessler was sentenced in January 2022. Before Judge James Daniel announced her punishment, he allowed Jolene's family members to deliver their victim impact statements to the court. Jolene's sister, Justine, delivered her statement first, using her uncle to read it allowed on her behalf. by six years. I wanted to specify a rate different because she always wanted, but let everyone know I was a baby sister. Even as adults, girl, we had the funniest laugh and a personality in the match. She had the prettiest green eyes and loved to make people laugh. She ate the weirdest food and loved watching you actually. She got her when she hit it so. Joly was a rock of her fin. She was the strongest person I've ever known. I knew that no matter what, she always had my back. Joly loved her three kids more than anything in the world. She was a wonderful mother. She was the hardest worker I've ever seen. And she lost her life worthy to provide the best life possible for her children. The last day I saw my sister was made fifth, 2013. It was my wedding day. The day that it's supposed to be cherished. It was one of the best days of my life. Instead, when I reflect back in the day, I don't need to remember how I should have poked her. My sister could buy a taller apple. I will never be able to forget day, share people to us and told us my sister was gone. The pain I felt inside and I heard that I could barely feel my heart was unmatchable. It has been almost four years in still the same way I felt that day. And I know that it's something that I feel for the rest of my life. My sister was exposed to she was trash. As a result, we don't know that it is of my birth to rest as she deserves. The items that were used in this horrible detail, but my sister does not care. Simply every day items are no longer just items to me anymore. I can't go to the store and not think about what happened because there are many reminders all around me. We remembered my sister's brutal murder. People always ask me how I am doing and I always reply, "I'm good." I can never really put into words how devastated I really am. I've experienced pain and loss, but I'm nothing compared to the suffering and sadness that I feel in the reality that I'm never be able to see or talk to my sister again. I know how I feel, but I've never even found what my sister's children feel for the hurt. My mom must be having a child taken away from her. They have watched jolly children life be torn apart. A struggle that they get endured. The nightmare is the experience and the reality that every mother is no longer here anymore and never will be. I don't explain to her children that they can't go ahead and see their mom. This is just an example of the question, "One of them killed a nest." They will grow up and they won't have the mother there to come with them. They are sick. She won't be there when they graduate school, go to college. We're even getting married for jolly children. This is only the beginning of them. They have the rest of their lives ahead of them and they have to do it without their mom. Jolly's still had a whole world ahead of her. She had dreams that would never be able to build and goals that would never be met. She had a family that she loved so much in the lives that had taken her ever change and nothing has ever been able to take away the hurt constant suffering we've built. Well, children and family don't deserve her ever to be taken away by a conscious decision but nothing. Jolly's life matter and she will never be forgotten. We'll make sure her children never question how their mom looked at it and how happy they have built. Even though my sister is no longer here, I was always at her back, you know, it will never be heard. Ultimately, Kimberly Kessler was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Before sentencing, Kimberly was once again wheeled into the courtroom and shortly thereafter escorted out due to another outburst. For Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, the outcome was a celebration. Throughout the entirety of the case, he was outspoken on his beliefs that he did not think that Jolene was Kimberly's only victim. It's been for you as well, three, three and a half years to hear that verdict in the courtroom for you all and go through this trial. What was that like? Well, you're right. It has been along three and a half years. We initially got the call of a missing person and started investigating things we were finding out was just, to me, it was shocking that something like this would happen in our community. I can't thank the state attorney to know if Melissa Nelson, Donna, Ashley, for what you all did. Our NCSL investigators are the best. They are the best. They worked day and night for months, no sleep trying to find out what happened to Jolene. But one person saw this case and that was Jolene. Jolene left her blood and she left her DNA and that's what got her. That's what helped us close this case out. I don't for one second believe that Kimberly Kessler or whatever name she's going by today. I don't believe this is her first murder. I don't at all. She's evil. She's evil in the flesh. And as soon as she sentenced, I want her behind out of our jail because we are fed up with her crap. It's the state's problem from now on. So we're glad the verdict came about. It was a just verdict. The jury came to the right conclusion. Our halt goes out to Jolene, her family, her children, her mother, her sister. But nothing's going to bring her back and we're not going to rest until we find her. And hopefully one day she will turn up somewhere and we pray for that day. And we know she wasn't found in the land. So could she be anywhere else that you know of her? She could be anywhere from Nassau County to St. John's County in between. We don't know. We have no clue. But hopefully one day she'll talk. I doubt it. But hopefully she will. But by God, we don't keep looking. If we get clues, we'll keep looking. But she's being held accountable for what she did to Jolene. And that's what we're proud of today. Thank you. When she was transferred out of the Nassau County jail and taken to the Lowell Correctional Institution in O'Call of Florida, jail staff celebrated with a party that included cake and ice cream, the cake red incarceration relocation celebration. No longer would they have to deal with her tantrums and violent outbursts. And ultimately, her outbursts cost taxpayers a total of around $215,000 over the course of three years. Kimberly Kessler leaving the Nassau County jail and this white van called for a cake and ice cream celebration. A deputy was seen doing a rock on hand gesture before her departure Friday morning. Her new home. It's for the rest of her life. And until she takes her last breath, it's going to be Florida State Breast. Kessler is beginning her life sentence for the 2018 murder of Jolene Cummings. Sadly, to this day, Jolene Cummings remains have not been found. And Kimberly Kessler has refused to speak about what really happened that night. But for the people familiar with this case, there's a collective feeling of relief knowing she's never getting out of prison. That's right where she belongs. For years, this woman floated around the United States using 18 different aliases. And there is no telling what she was up to throughout that time. For nearly everyone that's had the misfortune of knowing her, they've claimed that Kimberly is an incredibly violent and dangerous woman. Many people, including those in law enforcement believe that she might have more victims out there. And that's not just based on a gut feeling. In fact, when investigators went through Kimberly's phone, they found a list of over 60 names with bizarre descriptions beside them, like which, Satanist, evil, murderous gang. And apparently, some of the names on her list are of people who have died over the year. But from what we can tell, investigators have never been able to connect Kimberly to their deaths or even figure out why they were on her list. In Kimberly, definitely isn't going to answer those questions, so we may never know. In the years following Jolene's murder and her killer's trial, her family has done the best to keep her memory alive. Every birthday, they try to celebrate despite the horrible memories surrounding that day. But it's been a hard journey. Her three young children have had no choice but to go through life without their mother. Because of their young age, they luckily don't know the horrible details surrounding her death. But they find comfort knowing she's in heaven. According to their father, Jason, they think she's their guardian angel. One of Jolene's friends, Brooke Carly, stated that Jolene's son spent the night with her and one of them admitted that he wanted to purchase a train ticket to heaven so he could see her again. Sadly, unlike many people who have lost a loved one, her family doesn't have a place to go when they want to visit her. Because Jolene's body was never found, the only place where they could connect with her was a bench at Buchanan Park in Heller, Florida. For years, that's where her ex-husband Jason would take the kids anytime they wanted to see their mom. It's not the typical place you go to grieve a loved one, but it's all Jason Cummings has. Does it hurt knowing that to have that moment with her, you have to come see a bench? All the time, especially for the kids, you know, they don't have a great site to go visit. This is the only thing they have to remind them of their mom. In 2023, a plot and headstone were purchased at Joan Cemetery in Callahan, Florida. It helped provide a permanent resting place for Jolene Cummings, and although it hurts that she isn't there, it's given her family a place where they can remember and honor her. Jolene's mother and stepfather have even purchased the plot next to her so they can all be together one day, even if Jolene isn't physically there. But they're still holding on to hope. They believe deep within them that one day Jolene will be found, and when that day comes, they can finally be reunited. For today's episode, we will be making a donation to Texas EquaSearch, a nonprofit organization that provides search and recovery services to families of missing persons and law enforcement. Hey, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us for this week's episode of Murder in America. Wow, this story is just incredibly heartbreaking, like every story that we cover here on the show, and ever gets easier, but it's important that we keep talking about these people and raising awareness that evil can really strike anywhere. If you want to help support what we do here on the show, please consider joining us on Patreon. 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